It is common practice in the art to cut a strip of tape, wire or the like, with a scissor type cutting instrument or with a guillotine type cutting device. Basically, a knife edge or blade is forced into contact with and through the material being cut. Scissor type devices employ two blades whose cutting edges slide past each other thereby severing any material placed between the blades. Guillotine type cutting devices usually employ a movable blade that is guided against and onto a block or into a groove in a block such that any material placed between the blade and block can be severed. Regardless of the type cutting means employed, the material that is to be severed has to be guided by additional means so as to align the material with the cutting edge of the blade. In addition, once the severing operation is completed, the leading edge at the cut interface of the material is usually left unsupported so that it can move or otherwise be displaced from the cutting instrument. This latter feature is particularly undesirable when cutting a strip of tape into selected lengths since after each cut it will be necessary that the severed leading edge of the tape be guided, positioned, and supported in alignment with the cutting blade before the next segment of the tape can be severed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cutting device that has guide means housed within said device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cutting device that can support and maintain the leading cut edge of a material in alignment with the cutting blade after a segment of the material has been severed from said material.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a guiding and cutting device for use in severing a strip of tape or the like into desired lengths.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cutting device that can guide, position and support a material in alignment with the cutting edge or blade of the device.